After drinking tea and eating some food, the group prepared to head back.
Wei Ziang only returned by dinnertime and told everyone that General Song had given him a half-month leave, during which he could stay home and rest.
"Ziang, come over here, Mom wants to talk to you about something."
Wei Ziang, who was about to whisper to Xiao Mi, walked over with a big smile as soon as he heard his mother’s call.
"Mom, what do you want to talk about?"
Beside him, Jiang Yu’s hand with the fan started waving faster.
Liu Ze was even more envious.
He relied on being the adopted son, feeling quite smug. He had to wait until next year, after this guy returned from the army and attended his wedding with Xiao Xue, before he could change his title.
He should have never waited for him!
Liu Ze thought indignantly to himself.
Unfortunately, Xiao Xue said she wanted to get married while her younger siblings were still at home.
The second mother, completely unaware of her son’s and prospective son-in-law’s discontent, happily pulled Wei Ziang aside to sit down.
"Ziang, I heard that General Song hasn’t figured out how to settle the people you rescued before?"
Wei Ziang, already informed of her plan by Xiao Mi, naturally nodded.
"Mom, the general is also worried. They don’t want to go back to their hometown, and staying at the barracks isn’t a long-term solution. Now that they are almost recovered, they need somewhere to go."
Perhaps it was just an illusion, but it seemed that there was a hint of joy and pride when Wei Ziang called ’Mom.’
"Oh," the second mother nodded, "then see if you have time to ask General Song about it. We’re planning to find a sparse and spacious area nearby. If we’re going to farm, we need many people."
Wei Ziang pretended not to know, "Are you suggesting that you want them to help with farming?"
The second mother: "Of course, we also need to ask if they are willing. If they are, they can join us in reclaiming the land. Although it’s hard work, it fills the stomach, and the wages are like usual labor."
More importantly, by cultivating in a sparsely populated area, they naturally avoid others’ gossip. For those who have suffered trauma, it’s indeed a great place to go.
As long as they can live well, who wants to die?
Moreover, having survived such hardships before, what are hard work and fatigue compared to the suffering they’ve endured? Being able to live well is better than anything else.
Wei Ziang quickly nodded, "Mom, I’ll ask the general tomorrow."
It’s not too early now, and the general over there is probably overwhelmed, too.
Before dinner, Wei Ziang, having just returned from his mother, was quickly pulled aside by Xiao Mi for a whispering session.
Jiang Yu happened to see them, with a look that seemed to resent iron for not being steel, as if he wasn’t the one worrying about his brother before.
Wei Ziang told Xiao Mi that General Song had sent an urgent secret report over eight hundred miles, the kind only the emperor could see.
And they didn’t need to worry about what followed.
As for General Song being in a chaotic state, it’s just about how to protect Shilin before a decision is made from above.
Fortunately, they now knew the specific layout of Shilin. Although not everyone had a map, at least they didn’t have to worry about getting lost.
But if they continued to guard it, they feared the people behind the scenes would guess that the secret was out. If they didn’t watch it, they feared the mastermind would find it first.
In response, Wei Ziang and Xiao Mi could only shrug, expressing their helplessness.
Xiao Mi rubbed her chin, "Why don’t I go with you to see General Song tomorrow?"
"What does Xiao Mi want to do now?"
"To do a good job till the end, why don’t we make a sandbox of Shilin instead? It’s much easier to understand than a map."
Xiao Mi had good intentions, since a sandbox is indeed convenient, allowing a clear overview at a glance.
However, Wei Ziang chuckled and shook his head.
Xiao Mi puffed up her cheeks, "Why not?"
"Xiao Mi, if they really plan to mine it from above, soon the whole Shilin may no longer exist, so a sandbox would be useless." ℯℯ𝑙.
"Uh," Xiao Mi was stunned, "That’s true."
Surely there are not just iron ores in the places they’ve already found; it’s likely that Shilin is riddled with iron ores underneath.
By then, they would probably level the entire Shilin and start mining.
In this case, a sandbox would indeed be of no use.
However, Wei Ziang immediately saw Xiao Mi’s motive, and patted her head, "Are you too bored?"
Xiao Mi shrugged, "Not too bad, it’s just that there’s nothing much to do."
Wei Ziang glanced at the others, who were in the courtyard but quite a distance away.
"Didn’t you say you wanted to plant potatoes? Why not go out of town with me tomorrow? We can come back in a few days and smoothly bring the potatoes back?"
As he said, even if everyone already had suspicions in their hearts, as long as they didn’t openly acknowledge it, pretending to know nothing was best.
Not only was this to protect Xiao Mi, but also to protect everyone around them.
Xiao Mi pouted and looked at him, "You can’t plant potatoes in the summer, they won’t survive. I need to plant a crop first and then plant them after August or September."
"Ah? Is that so?"
Since potatoes couldn’t be planted, Wei Ziang began thinking of other ways.
"Why don’t we go check out the surrounding areas tomorrow and find a suitable place for settlement?"
The two of them running around wouldn’t worry others.
As for their parents, looking at Lishi City was quite refreshing for them, and with someone to protect them, they could stroll and explore freely.
Xiao Mi’s eyes lit up, "Great, I’ll go tell Mom and Dad."
After speaking, she eagerly went to find her parents.
Jiang Hu and the second mother knew she couldn’t stay idle. When at home, she spent most of her time running around the mountains. Now that there’s something to do, she becomes even more restless.
So knowing the two were going out, they didn’t stop them. After all, they were planning to settle near Lishi City, and Wei Ziang could return home to gather every month afterward.
With parental approval, the two set off early the next morning. Of course, they remembered to see General Song first and ask about the resettlement of the people they saved.
General Song was particularly pleased with Xiao Mi’s suggestion and promptly sent someone to inquire of the survivors.
However, General Song also mentioned that if they indeed found a sparsely populated area, everyone should be willing.
After all, having gone through the same experiences, living together and supporting each other wouldn’t be embarrassing.
Knowing the two were planning to scout around for the most suitable place, General Song even suggested a few locations.
That saved the two a lot of effort, allowing them to first check General Song’s suggested places, thereby avoiding running around unnecessarily.
After leaving the city, they even encountered the Imperial Guards stationed near the city gate. Because there were too many people, it was inconvenient to enter the city. Besides, Jiang Hu and the others didn’t plan on staying long and could leave town anytime, so they didn’t go far.